Morocco reinforces Ceuta border with 4-metre barrier after deadly July crisis

Moroccan authorities are constructing a barrier up to 4 metres high near the autonomous Spanish city of Ceuta on Africa's Mediterranean coast as part of efforts to prevent another mass attempt by migrants to cross into the enclave.

The Maghreb Times news portal reported that the barrier is being built on the outskirts of Fnideq, a Moroccan town located only a few kilometres from Ceuta. Its stated purpose is to prevent migrants from reaching the Bab Sebta border crossing, which provides direct access to the Spanish enclave.

Law-enforcement sources in the region said the measures were designed both to prevent potential gatherings in Fnideq and to "provide security forces with more room to intervene before flows of illegal migrants reach the border."

Security measures have also been stepped up in Fnideq and the areas surrounding Ceuta. The region has been reinforced with "thousands of security personnel, auxiliary forces and gendarmerie officers, as well as units of the armed forces."

The heightened security follows the circulation of anonymous messages on social media calling for a new mass attempt to cross into Ceuta on August 15.

The concerns come after a major migration crisis in Ceuta on July 30, when false rumours spread on social media that the border had been opened. At least 72 people died in the ensuing crisis.

Euronews has reported that social media posts are now urging people to repeat the mass border crossing on August 15, although authorities have so far remained sceptical about the likelihood of such an attempt.

By Tamilla Hasanova